Sobre Suzuki e Alan Watts

D.T. Suzuki on What Freedom Really Means and How Zen Can Help Us Cultivate Our Character

by Maria Popova

“The ego-shell in which we live is the hardest thing to outgrow.”

Alan Watts may be credited with popularizing Eastern philosophy in the West, but he owes the entire trajectory of his life and legacy to a single encounter with the Zen Buddhist sage D.T. Suzuki (October 18, 1870–July 12, 1966) — one of humanity’s greatest and most influential stewards of Zen philosophy. At the age of twenty-one, Watts attended a lecture by Suzuki in London, which so enthralled the young man that he spent the remainder of his life studying, propagating, and building upon Suzuki’s teachings. Legendary composer John Cage had a similar encounter with Suzuki, which profoundly shaped his life and music.
In the early 1920s, spurred by the concern that Zen masters are “unable to present their understanding in the light of modern thought,” Suzuki undertook “a tentative experiment to present Zen from our common-sense point of view” — a rather humble formulation of what he actually accomplished, which was nothing less than giving ancient Eastern philosophy a second life in the West and planting the seed for a new culture of secularized spirituality.

But by 1940, all of his books had gone out of print in war-torn England, and all remaining copies in Japan were destroyed in the great fire of 1945, which consumed three quarters of Tokyo. In 1946, Christmas Humphreys, president of London’s Buddhist Society, set out to undo the damage and traveled to Tokyo, where he began working with Suzuki on translating his new manuscripts and reprinting what remained of the old. The result was the timeless classic Essays in Zen Buddhism (public library), originally published in 1927 — a collection of Suzuki’s foundational texts introducing the principles of Zen into secular life as a discipline concerned first and foremost with what he called “the reconstruction of character.” As Suzuki observed, “Our ordinary life only touches the fringe of personality, it does not cause a commotion in the deepest parts of the soul.” His essays became, and remain, a moral toolkit for modern living, delivered through a grounding yet elevating perspective on secular spirituality.
Mais

Paradoxo da politica brasileira

Primeira guerra mundial

Paul Fussell, “The Great War and Modern Memory”
Fussell has written a wonderful book regarding the First World War; in it, he does not cover in detail the strategies, the politics, or the battles; instead, he focuses on the people and the literature – the literature that came before, during, and after the war, thus shaping the road to it and our remembrance of it.
In this post I will focus on his description of trench life: the geography, the glorified tale, and the reality.
Mais

De aristocracia a democracia

From Aristocracy to Monarchy to Democracy: A Tale of Moral and Economic Folly and Decay Paperback – 2014

by Hans-Hermann Hoppe 

In this tour de force essay, Hans-Hermann Hoppe turns the standard account of historical governmental progress on its head. While the state is an evil in all its forms, monarchy is, in many ways, far less pernicious than democracy. Hoppe shows the evolution of government away from aristocracy, through monarchy, and toward the corruption and irresponsibility of democracy to have been identical with the growth of the leviathan state. There is hope for liberty, as Hoppe explains, but it lies not in reversing these steps, but rather through secession and decentralization. This pocket-sized, eye-opening pamphlet is ideal for tabling, conferences, or sharing with friends. It can revolutionize the way a reader sees society and the state.

Mais

Novo livro de Hoppe

Hoppe on Democracy, Progress, and the State

By David Gordon

Mises.org

In carrying out his illuminating project, Hoppe finds himself in opposition to the dominant way of looking at the evolution of government. According to this perspective, government has over the centuries become ever more democratic. Rule by the people is the final form of government; once it has been reached, history, at least as far as government is concerned, has ended. This historical movement, further, is a “good thing.” It is the triumph of freedom. History is the story of progress.
Mais

O que significa libertarianismo?

What Libertarianism Is, and Isn't

By Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

The explosive growth in the number of converts to libertarianism since Ron Paul first ran for president is one of the most exciting developments of my lifetime. But I’d like to issue a note of caution.
There are several ways a young libertarian can distinguish himself. He can be an effective communicator of libertarian ideas as a writer or speaker. He can employ his unique talents — as an artist, animator, interviewer, or whatever — to convey the libertarian message in new and compelling ways. He can become a specialist in some area of scholarly inquiry relevant to libertarianism. Or he can add to the edifice of libertarian thought by solving a longstanding problem, critically reexamining an old question, or applying libertarian theory to new areas as technology develops and civilization evolves
Mais

Revisionismo histórico para iniciantes

Brought Up To Believe

By Bionic Mosquito

September 1, 2014

…Lincoln cared about the slaves.
…Lincoln was honest.
…the West was wild.
…Japan’s aggression in Asia was a shock to the US government.
…Germany started the Great War.
…Wilson made the world safe for democracy.
…democracy represents the best form of government.
Mais

Transformações

Optimistic Imagination Minus Reality Equals Severe Trauma

By Bionic Mosquito

Wartime: Understanding and Behavior in the Second World War, by Paul Fussell

This book is about the psychological and emotional culture of Americans and Britons during the Second World War.  It is about the rationalizations and euphemisms people needed to deal with an unacceptable actuality from 1939 to 1945.

So begins Fussell in the preface.  After touching on the physical damage, he continues:
So begins Fussell in the preface.  After touching on the physical damage, he continues:

Less obvious is the damage it did to intellect, discrimination, honesty, individuality, complexity, ambiguity, and irony.

In chapter 8 of Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace, edited By Harry Elmer Barnes, William Henry Chamberlin addresses this topic.  Chamberlin cites the hypocrisy of Roosevelt and his Atlantic the lies of Roosevelt to the American people leading up to the war.
In chapter 9 of the same volume, George A. Lundberg cites Dr. Charles Beard, listing of twelve examples of the lies and manipulations by Roosevelt before and during the war. There is no possibility of a properly functioning democracy or republic when lying is the means to secure support.
It is the damage done to the psyche of the American and British people that Fussell examines in this book.
Mais

10 grandes livros ignorados no seu tempo

10 Great Books That Were Not Appreciated During Their Time

J. Francis Wolfe
Artists often go unrecognized during their lifetimes, and several great writers and thinkers found that their greatest works either went completely unnoticed or were poorly received when they first came out. The following books were not immediately appreciated for their genius, much to the dismay of the authors responsible for them. 

Mais

Hayek e a Internet

História falsificada - a era de Victoria

Stern fathers, religious zealots and prudes? How we got the Victorians wrong

As the myth of the strict Victorian father is dispelled, the writer and historian A.N. Wilson says this is not the only way we have misconstrued the Victorian era 

So where did this dour image of the Victorian age come from? How did we get the idea that they were all puritanical, unsmiling, and cruel?
When Bertrand Russell, the famous philosopher, was jailed during the First World War for being a conscientious objector, his warder was surprised to hear laughter coming from his cell. He went in and saw Russell reading a volume by his friend Lytton Strachey, called “Eminent Victorians”
Mais

O erro do século

The Epochal Consequences Of Woodrow Wilson’s War

By David Stockman

David Stockman's Corner

... put the blame for this monumental error squarely on Thomas Woodrow Wilson——-a megalomaniacal madman who was the very worst President in American history……..well, except for the last two.

His unforgiveable error was to put the United States into the Great War for utterly no good reason of national interest. The European war posed not an iota of threat to the safety and security of the citizens of Lincoln NE, or Worcester MA or Sacramento CA. In that respect, Wilson’s putative defense of “freedom of the seas” and the rights of neutrals was an empty shibboleth; his call to make the world safe for democracy, a preposterous pipe dream....

Mais

A comida perfeita

Often deemed a “perfect food,” the avocado is considered one of the healthiest foods available. Even a study published in Nutrition Journal found that eating avocados is associated with a lower body weight, lower BMI and waist circumference (a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes), higher “good” cholesterol, a lower intake of added sugars, better diet quality overall, and higher nutrient intake levels. In other words, those who eat avocados are healthier than those who don’t
Many consider this prolific green fruit, vegetable, and nut combined a superfood, and for good reason. Here are 5 reasons to eat this fabulous food.

Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/5-reasons-always-eat-avocado/#ixzz3QKe7UhF4
Follow us: @naturalsociety on Twitter | NaturalSociety on Facebook

Revisionismo

War Revisionism, Fascism, and the CIA

By John V. Denson

One of the best definitions of a true patriot today, I believe, is a person who defends his country against its own government.  One of the best ways to defend our country against its government is through the search for historical truth, especially as it relates to war.  This is the theme of my book A Century of War where I state:
Mais

Dieta de gordura

My diet is 82% FAT and I've never been healthier', dietitian claims - as research shows it's carbs that fuelling the obesity and diabetes epidemic

• For years, dieters have believed high-carb, low-fat is the key to weight loss
• But a body of new evidence is turning the tide and changing the advice
• Dietitian Dr Trudi Deakin's new book encourages a diet high in saturated fat
• Eat Fat: Step-by-Step Guide To Low Carb Living is the result of research examining the recent studies on the subject
• No evidence that saturated fat causes heart attack or stroke, she said
• Saturated fat leaves you feeling fuller for longer and less inclined to snack
• High-carb diet promotes production of weight-promoting hormone insulin
• Excess carbs in the body are converted into fat which sits around organs 

By Lizzie Parry for MailOnline

HOW TO ENJOY A HIGH-FAT DIET 

Dr Deakin's book, Eat Fat: Step-by-Step Guide To Low Carb Living, outlines a range of menu ideas and recipe options to guide the dieter through their weight loss plan.

Dr Deakin said she regularly eats this daily menu and finds it filling and full of variety.

BREAKFAST: Three eggs cooked in the microwave with butter and cheese, like a souffle, served with oily fish - smoked salmon or mackerel - or avocado.

LUNCH:A bowl of berries with double cream or a homemade walnut scone, made with ground almonds rather than flour, served with double cream

DINNER: Meat or fish with a serving of vegetables cooked in butter 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2911642/My-diet-82-FAT-ve-never-healthier-dietitian-claims-research-shows-s-carbs-fuelling-obesity-diabetes-epidemic.html#ixzz3QKfRL2sn
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

O fundamentalismo de Thomas Cromwell

Thomas Cromwell was the Islamic State of his day

Forget Wolf Hall: this pathologically ambitious "ruffian" sent hundreds to the chopping block and destroyed England's religious and artistic heritage 

By Dominic Selwood

7:30AM GMT 22 Jan 2015

647 Comments

On July 24, 2014, worshippers in Mosul were asked to leave one of the city’s most historic and famous buildings — an ancient Nestorian-Assyrian church that had long ago been converted into the Mosque of the Prophet Younis (biblical Jonah). The Islamic State then rigged the entire building with explosives, and blew it into oblivion. Tragically, it was a Shia mosque - one of many that have suffered the same fate.

The UK's current primetime TV fantasy blockbuster du jour is Wolf Hall. Everyone loves a costume drama, but there is a world of difference between fictional history and historical fiction. One dramatizes real people and events. The other is an entirely made-up story set in the past. The current tendency is to blur the two, which Wolf Hall does spectacularly.

Thomas Cromwell, whose life it chronicles, comes across as a plucky, self-made Englishman, whose quiet reserve suggests inner strength and personal nobility. Back in the real world, Cromwell was a “ruffian” (in his own words) turned sectarian extremist, whose religious vandalism bears striking comparison with the iconoclasm of Islamic State or the Afghani Taliban.
Mais 

On the road

A importância de sair do próprio país

17 THINGS THAT CHANGE FOREVER WHEN YOU LIVE ABROAD

by Angie Castells  4/06/2014 | 8:22 923 Posted in Recursos para viajeros 

I originally wrote and published this article in Spanish.

As we brace ourselves to move abroad for the third time in a few years, I look back and I know that squeezing our lives into a suitcase and leaving our native Barcelona was the best decision that we could have possibly made. Because when you move away, when you turn your life into a journey filled with uncertainty, you grow up in unexpected ways.

- See more at: http://masedimburgo.com/2014/06/04/17-things-change-forever-live-abroad/#sthash.Kn7dPWxd.dpuf

Sistema nacional de inovação

Look inside	Developing National Systems Of Innovation University–Industry Interactions in the Global South Eduardo Albuquerque , Wilson Suzigan , Glenda Kruss , Keun Lee Edited by Eduardo Albuquerque, Professor, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil, Wilson Suzigan, Professor, UNICAMP – State University of Campinas, Brazil, Glenda Kruss, Research Director, Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa and Keun Lee, Professor, Seoul National University, South Korea In Association with the International Development Research Centre January 2015 320 pp Hardback 978 1 78471 109 2 ebook isbn 978 1 78471 110 8 Hardback £85.00 on-line price £76.50
	Qty                                                                                                                        Hardback
	Available as an eBook for subscribing libraries on . For individuals at paper price on  and  Other eBook partners. Description ‘What is similar and what is different about the relationships between how universities and public laboratories interact with firms in developing, as contrasted with advanced, industrial economies? How do these differences reflect and support the differences witnessed in on-going innovations? This book is the first large-scale report on these matters, and their implications for policy in developing countries.’ – From the foreword by Richard R. Nelson, Columbia University, US Interactions between firms and universities are key building blocks of innovation systems. This book focuses on those interactions in developing countries, presenting studies based on fresh empirical material prepared by research teams in 12 countries from three continents. The result is a more universal and dynamic view of the shaping and reshaping of interactions between firms and universities throughout different countries and phases of development. There are dimensions of those interactions that cannot be seen in the US, Europe or Japan. There are aspects and features of interactions that cannot be seen when we investigate Uganda, China or Mexico alone. In a time of increasing internationalization, interactions between firms and universities must be investigated tracking their international linkages. Professor Richard Nelson (Columbia University) writes in his preface: "The studies reported in this book are among the first to be directed to what is going on in developing countries". Contents Contributors include: J.O. Adeoti, E. Albuquerque, V. Arza, I. Bortagaray, G. Britto, G. Dutrénit, C. De Fuentes, G. Dutrénit, J.-H. Eun, A.C. Fernandes, G. Kruss, K. Lee, D. Nabudere, R.R. Nelson, D. O’Brien, M. Pinho, L. Ribeiro, D. Schiller, W. Suzigan, C. Vazquez, Y.Wang, G. Wu Further information Interactions between firms and universities are key building blocks of innovation systems. With a focus on developing countries, this book presents novel comparative research spanning three continents. The result is a more universal and dynamic view of the shaping and reshaping of interactions between firms and universities within different countries in various stages of development. Through expert contributions, a combination of empirical investigations and theoretical discussion is presented, existing studies on innovation systems are quantified and further avenues of research suggested. Readers will establish a more universal understanding of the vibrant relationship between firms and universities, and how this affects innovation for the future. Scholars of innovation, evolutionary economics, science and technology studies, and development studies will find the original research to be of great value. This book will also appeal to public research organizations and policy makers. Full table of contents

Beneficios da peste bubônica

10 Good Things We Owe To The Black Death

Larry Jimenez January 28, 2015

Yersinia pestis. Who would think that such a microscopic organism in the gut of an infected flea could create an upheaval in human society?
The most terrible pestilence humanity has witnessed, the Black Death of the 1340s killed an estimated 75–200 million people. To many, it seemed that the end of the world had come. In a sense, they were right. The “Great Mortality” ended one world and ushered in a new, better one. Despite the horrors of bubonic plague, Europe showed remarkable resilience in its survival.

The Black Death, tragic though it was, may have made the world a brighter place. The following improvements to society would no doubt have inevitably evolved gradually, but the Black Death was a catalyst. In spearheading change it allowed humanity to benefit from the new circumstances sooner than later.
Mais

Doenças que apenas existem em alemão

15 unique illnesses you can only come down with in German

Arika Okrent

The German language is so perfectly suited for these syndromes, coming down with them in any other language just won't do.
Mais

Cerveja protege o cérebro

Beer Compound Could Protect Brain Cells From Damage

January 29, 2015 | by Justine Alford

Photo credit: Igor Klimov, via Shutterstock.

Share on facebook31.9K Share on twitter331 Share on reddit Share on google_plusone_share More Sharing Services

Beer buffs, rejoice: a component in that sweet nectar of the gods could help protect brain cells against a type of damage that has been linked to certain neurodegenerative disorders, such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should skip to the pub chanting “a beer a day keeps the Alzheimer’s away,” but it does look like this compound is worth investigating further as a potential candidate to prevent or slow the progression of certain neurodegenerative conditions.
The compound investigated, Xanthohumol, is an active component found in hops and beer. It’s a member of the flavonoid family, which are metabolites found in various plants that often give them their color. Interest in these compounds has grown significantly in recent years, whether in berries, chocolate or red wine, because of the range of health benefits that they may bestow when consumed in large enough quantities. For example, studies have shown that they may have cardioprotective effects and could play positive roles in cancer and inflammation.
One of the reasons that they have grabbed so much attention is because they are potent antioxidants. During normal aerobic (oxygen-using) metabolism, our cells produce various different molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are highly reactive molecules containing oxygen, such as hydrogen peroxide. While these molecules play a variety of important roles in the cell, such as assisting signaling pathways, excess amounts of ROS is damaging. This can either result from an overproduction of ROS, or from dysfunction of our inbuilt antioxidant systems. Either of these can lead to oxidative damage to various important molecules in the cell, such as proteins or DNA, which is cumulatively known as oxidative stress.
ROS are particularly active in the brain, and the oxidative damage that they can cause to neuronal cells is thought to be involved in the development of certain neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Since Xanthohumol is known to possess strong antioxidant properties, scientists wondered whether it could play a neuroprotective role in the brain, so they designed a study to test this hypothesis.
Mais

Pobreza como foi

When Bread Bags Weren't Funny

429 Jan 29, 2015 2:37 PM EST

By Megan McArdle

Last week, in her State of the Union response, Joni Ernst mentioned going to school with bread bags on her feet to protect her shoes. These sorts of remembrances of poor but honest childhoods used to be a staple among politicians -- that's why you've heard so much about Abe Lincoln's beginnings in a log cabin. But the bread bags triggered a lot of hilarity on Twitter, which in turn triggered this powerful meditation from Peggy Noonan on how rich we have become. So rich that we have forgotten things that are well within living memory:

I liked what Ernst said because it was real. And it reminded me of the old days.
There are a lot of Americans, and most of them seem to be on social media, who do not know some essentials about their country, but this is the way it was in America once, only 40 and 50 years ago:
America had less then. Americans had less.
If you were from a family that was barely or not quite getting by, you really had one pair of shoes. If your family was doing OK you had one pair of shoes for school and also a pair of what were called Sunday shoes -- black leather or patent leather shoes. If you were really comfortable you had a pair of shoes for school, Sunday shoes, a pair of play shoes and even boots, which where I spent my childhood (Brooklyn, and Massapequa, Long Island) were called galoshes or rubbers. At a certain point everyone had to have sneakers for gym, but if you didn’t have sneakers you could share a pair with a friend, trading them in the hall before class.
If you had just one pair of shoes, which was the case in my family, you had trouble when it rained or snowed. How to deal with it?
You used the plastic bags that bread came in. Or you used plastic bags that other items came in. Or you used Saran Wrap if you had it, wrapping your shoes and socks in it. Or you let your shoes and socks get all wet, which we also did.

I am a few years younger than Noonan, but I grew up in a very different world -- one where a number of my grammar school classmates were living in public housing or on food stamps, but everyone had more than one pair of shoes. In rural areas, like the one where Joni Ernst grew up, this lingered longer. But all along, Americans got richer and things got cheaper -- especially when global markets opened up. Payless will sell you a pair of child's shoes for $15, which is two hours of work even at minimum wage.
Perhaps that sounds like a lot to you -- two whole hours! But I've been researching historical American living standards for a project I'm working on, and if you're familiar with what Americans used to spend on things, this sounds like a very good deal.
Consider the "Little House on the Prairie" books, which I'd bet almost every woman in my readership, and many of the men, recalls from their childhoods. I loved those books when I was a kid, which seemed to describe an enchanted world -- horses! sleighs! a fire merrily crackling in the fireplace, and children frolicking in the snow all winter, then running barefoot across the prairies! Then I reread them as an adult, as a prelude to my research, and what really strikes you is how incredibly poor these people were. The Ingalls family were in many ways bourgeoisie: educated by the standards of the day, active in community leadership, landowners. And they had nothing.
Mais

Socialismo não funciona

The Economics of Why Socialism Fails

January 27, 2015 by Jason Peirce
January 27, 2015—
Yuri Maltsev, the former Soviet economist who defected to the US in 1999, cautions that many young people in the West hold a naïve, romantic view of socialism.
True, socialism may sound wonderful: all is shared, universal equality is realized, and we all live happily ever after.
But in the real world, socialism fails. The cause is bad economics.
Socialism is a type of economic system. Economists refer to the socialist economy as a “command economy.” This means that a central planning body—the state—makes all of the economic decisions, commanding the actions of the people in the economy. In contrast to the free market, socialism necessarily hinges on the use of force by the central planners, not voluntary cooperation between people. In this respect, the essence of socialism is economically akin to tribal and slave economies, in which economic decisions, including the methods, values, and ends of production, are dictated by the chief of the tribe or the slave owner.
Mais

Hayek - O uso do conhecimento na sociedade

O Uso do Conhecimento na Sociedade

Por F. A. Hayek
Qual é o problema que buscamos resolver quando tentamos construir uma ordem econômica racional? Partindo de alguns pressupostos amplamente aceitos, a resposta é bastante simples. Se detivéssemos todas as informações relevantes, se pudéssemos tomar como ponto de partida um sistema de preferências estabelecido, e se tivéssemos completo conhecimento dos meios disponíveis, o resto do problema seria simplesmente uma questão de lógica. Ou seja, a resposta para a pergunta por qual é o melhor uso dos meios disponíveis está implícita em nossos pressupostos. As condições que devem ser satisfeitas para a solução desse problema ideal foram completamente analisadas e podem ser melhor expostas em um modelo matemático: sucintamente, diríamos que as taxas marginais de substituição entre quaisquer dois bens ou fatores devem ser as mesmas independentemente dos seus diferentes usos.
Este, no entanto, decididamente não é o problema econômico que a sociedade enfrenta; e o cálculo econômico que desenvolvemos para resolver esse problema lógico, embora seja um importante passo na direção da solução do problema econômico da sociedade, não oferece ainda uma resposta para ele. O motivo disto é que os “dados” totais da sociedade a partir dos quais são feitos os cálculos econômicos nunca são “dados” a uma única mente para que pudesse analisar as suas implicações — e nunca serão.
Mais

Gordura boa

Novas pesquisas mostram que gordura saturada não faz mal à saúde

Dieta rica em manteiga, ovos e carnes não levaria a desequilíbrio de colesterol e a doenças cardíacas, mas nutricionista faz ressalva

Leia mais sobre esse assunto em http://oglobo.globo.com/sociedade/saude/novas-pesquisas-mostram-que-gordura-saturada-nao-faz-mal-saude-15181100#ixzz3QESX7RfR
© 1996 - 2015. Todos direitos reservados a Infoglobo Comunicação e Participações S.A. Este material não pode ser publicado, transmitido por broadcast, reescrito ou redistribuído sem autorização.

Brasil 2015

• "Falta água. Falta luz. 56 mil homicídios. Balas perdidas. 19 das 50 cidades mais violentas do mundo. Inflação bate teto. Desemprego aumenta. Crescimento estagnado. A maior estatal desacreditada. Os piores índices de educação em ranking global. Tudo isso no meio de um dos maiores escândalos de corrupção do país. Mas, ei! pelo menos a agência reguladora de cinema está preocupada conosco e com o que devemos assistir!" por Ricardo Gomes

Marxismo messiánico

Michael Lowy, cientista social: ‘Agora é que a história do socialismo está começando’

No Brasil para uma palestra e vivendo na França há 40 anos, marxista brasileiro especializado em Walter Benjamin relaciona revolução com impulso messiânico

por Pedro Gueiros

03/10/2014 7:00

Michael Lowy fala sobre religião e marxismo, dá sua opinião sobre utopia e comenta tropicalismo - Marcelo Carnaval / Agência O Globo

---

Publicidade

“Nasci no Brasil, fui para a Europa fazer tese sobre Marx e vivo na França há 40 anos. Tenho estudado o judaísmo libertário e o grupo de pensadores que articulou a tradição messiânica com a utopia revolucionária. Sou um ateu religioso. Acredito no marxismo e no homem, mas essa já é uma fé profana”
Conte algo que não sei
Estima-se que o derretimento das calotas polares elevará o nível do mar em 70 metros mas basta subir um metro para as principais cidades ficarem debaixo d'água. A sociedade industrial capitalista ocidental nos faz caminhar para o desastre mais rápido do que se esperava. Estamos sob ameaça do dilúvio, como na Bíblia. Precisamos pensar numa alternativa civilizatória radical, determinada pela decisão coletiva e democrática. Chamo isso de ecossocialismo.
Boa parte dos intelectuais marxistas, como o senhor, tem origem judaica. A religião que oprime é a mesma que liberta?
Walter Benjamim denuncia o capitalismo como religião mas diz que o materialismo precisa da ajuda da teologia para ser redentor. Há na tradição judaica o messianismo, promessa de um mundo do qual a opressão, a fome, a miséria, a guerra desaparecerão. Isso tem potencial subversivo, mas não é monopólio dos judeus. O pessoal teologia da libertação, leitor atento do antigo testamento, se apropriou. Há uma relação forte desse elemento profético com o cristianismo da libertação na América Latina.
Por que antigos militantes de esquerda convertidos ao liberalismo tratam com despeito a bandeira vermelha?
Quem muda de lado tem contas a acertar com o passado, e ataca quem se mantém fiel a ideias. Alguns dos maiores inimigos do socialismo foram socialistas antes. Para citar um nome, Mussolini. O problema não é o indivíduo, há gente honesta e humana em toda doutrina. Mesmo na escravidão havia senhores que tratavam bem os escravos. O problema é o sistema. A escravidão tinha de acabar. O mesmo diz-se do capitalismo.

Leia mais sobre esse assunto em http://oglobo.globo.com/sociedade/conte-algo-que-nao-sei/michael-lowy-cientista-social-agora-que-historia-do-socialismo-esta-comecando-14121271#ixzz3Q8NwAg00
© 1996 - 2015. Todos direitos reservados a Infoglobo Comunicação e Participações S.A. Este material não pode ser publicado, transmitido por broadcast, reescrito ou redistribuído sem autorização.

Não vai ter liberdade intelectual na China

CHINA CRUSHES INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM EVEN AFTER DECADES OF SUCCESSFUL MARKET REFORMS

The Chinese economy has been a powerhouse on the world stage in the past three decades after a series of reforms in which the ruling communist regime began to allow private farming, private businesses, and regional competition, along with privatization of government services and tax cuts. Although some analysts suggest that the nation’s success is beginning to decline, both its status as a “most favored nation” trading partner of the United States and elsewhere and its integration with worldwide culture makes it easy to forget that China is still a dangerous place for dissenters. Those who advocate political liberty and freedom of conscience are often arrested, detained, or simply abducted without formal acknowledgment.
In a recent commentary for National Review, Atlas Network CEO Brad Lips told the story of Guo Yushan and He Zhengjun, affiliated with Chinese Atlas Network partner the Transition Institute. Both men were tireless advocates “on behalf of pluralism, democracy, and the rule of law,” leading victim-relief efforts and working to expand the rights and freedoms of Chiense citizens. They were both formally arrested this month, their activities viewed as a threat to the power of the Chinese Communist Party.
Mais

O medo do Papa

Lord of the World is a 1907 apocalyptic novel by Robert Hugh Benson. It is sometimes deemed one of the first modern dystopias. Michael D. O'Brien's Catholic apocalyptic series, Children of the Last Days follows a very similar theme as well. Essentially the novel imagines a socialist and humanist world where religion has been either suppressed or ignored. People have no history or hope so they often turn to euthanasia, which is legal. Further there is a "one-world" government that uses Esperanto for its language and ultimately becomes a servant of the anti-Christ. In brief: The Catholic Church has been suppressed by the rest of the world, which has turned to the religion of Humanity modelled on that of Auguste Comte. (A scene in which the Antichrist leads a massed congregation in the worship of a nude female statue in St. Paul's Cathedral is a more decorous version of the worship of the Goddess of Reason in Notre Dame de Paris in 1793. Pope John XXIV has made an agreement with the Italian government: the Catholic Church can have all of Rome, while all other churches in Italy are surrendered to the government. The deposed royal houses of the world (including the Chinese imperial dynasty, who have converted to Catholicism) are now resident in Rome. Ireland still remains staunchly Catholic, with small enclaves all over the world. Westminster Cathedral is the only church in London that is still Catholic. The rest have become Freemasonic temples. The plot then follows the tale of a priest, Percy Franklin, who becomes Pope Silvester III, and an unknown man named Julian Felsenburgh (who is identical in looks to the priest) who becomes "Lord of the World".
Mais
Ainda mais

Teoria das escolha pública

January 24, 2015 4:00 AM

The Pope Should Read Public-Choice Theory
Confronting the bureaucracy of the curia, he diagnoses ills that political scientists have long studied.

By Jayme Lemke & William Shughart

(Lisa Maree Williams/Getty)

    

Several weeks ago, just before Christmas, Pope Francis gifted members of the Roman curia — the central government, if you will, of the Roman Catholic Church – with an account of the ways in which “sickness, malfunction and infirmity” have infected that holy body. His diagnosis, detailed in a December 22 Vatican news release, suggests that the pope did not anticipate that sitting in St. Peter’s seat would enroll him automatically in a course in the public-choice economics of bureaucracy.
Mais

Humanismo

"Sou um humanista. Isso não significa ser bonzinho ou acreditar que o homem é bonzão. Significa apenas que aceito o homem como é - metiroso, primário, invejoso, incapaz, acertando por acaso e errando por vaidade: meu irmão."
(Millôr Fernandes)

Por que os intelectuais odeiam o capitalismo?

Por que os intelectuais odeiam o capitalismo?

por Jesús Huerta de Soto, quarta-feira, 19 de dezembro de 2012

---

---

N. do T.: o artigo a seguir foi adaptado de um discurso improvisado feito pelo autor, daí o seu tom mais coloquial.
Por que os intelectuais sistematicamente odeiam o capitalismo?  Foi essa pergunta que Bertrand de Jouvenel (1903-1987) fez a si próprio em seu artigo Os intelectuais europeus e o capitalismo.
Esta postura, na realidade, sempre foi uma constante ao longo da história.  Desde a Grécia antiga, os intelectuais mais distintos — começando por Sócrates, passando por Platão e incluindo o próprio Aristóteles — viam com receio e desconfiança tudo o que envolvia atividades mercantis, empresariais, artesanais ou comerciais.
E, atualmente, não tenham nenhuma dúvida: desde atores e atrizes de cinema e televisão extremamente bem remunerados até intelectuais e escritores de renome mundial, que colocam seu labor criativo em obras literárias — todos são completamente contrários à economia de mercado e ao capitalismo.  Eles são contra o processo espontâneo e de interações voluntárias que ocorre de mercado.  Eles querem controlar o resultado destas interações.  Eles são socialistas.  Eles são de esquerda.  Por que é assim?
Vocês, futuros empreendedores, têm de entender isso e já irem se acostumando.  Amanhã, quando estiverem no mercado, gerenciando suas próprias empresas, vocês sentirão uma incompreensão diária e contínua, um genuíno desprezo dirigido a vocês por toda a chamada intelligentsia, a elite intelectual, aquele grupo de intelectuais que formam uma vanguarda.  Todos estarão contra vocês.
"Por que razão eles agem assim?", perguntou-se Bertrand de Jouvenel, que em seguida pôs-se a escrever um artigo explicando as razões pelas quais os intelectuais — no geral e salvo poucas e honrosas exceções — são sempre contrários ao processo de cooperação social que ocorre no mercado.
Eis as três razões básicas fornecidas por de Jouvenel.
Mais

Economia e ética

The Moral Heart of Economics

By Edward L. Glaeser

January 25, 2011 6:00 am January 25, 2015

Edward L. Glaeser is an economics professor at Harvard and the author of the forthcoming book “Triumph of the City.”

Economists often present a cold public persona, emphasizing dollars and sense over the rousing rhetoric of moral argument. But by appearing as technocrats who seem concerned only with the bottom line, we allow ourselves to be portrayed as people without a sense of right and wrong.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about ethics and economics, calling for appropriate steps that economists could take to disclose conflicts of interest. Today, I focus on a larger issue: the complaint that economics is a discipline without a moral core.

Mais

Liderança

12 books every leader should read

By Bob Sutton

I have been maintaining – and occasionally updating — a list of “Books That Every Leader Should Read” on my Work Matters blog since 2011. These are books that have taught me much about people, teams, and organizations — while at the same time — provide useful guidance (if sometimes indirectly) about what it takes to lead well versus badly. This is the latest update. I have expanded it to 12 books this year and, even with that, I left out many of my favorites – and probably many of yours as well. After all, some 11,000 business books are published in the United States every year.
Many on the list are research based, others tell detailed stories, and only two are quick reads (Orbiting the Giant Hairball and Parkinson’s Law). That reflects my bias. I lean toward books that have real substance beneath them. This runs counter to the belief in the business book world at the moment that people will only buy and read books that are very short and simple – and have just one idea. So, if your kind of business book is The One Minute Manager (which frankly, I like too… but you can read the whole thing in 20 or 30 minutes), then you probably won’t like most of these books.
Mais

O universe sem limite

26 Pictures Will Make You Re-Evaluate Your Entire Existence

The universe, man… THE UNIVERSE.

Mais

Filmes mentirosos

Conheça 3 filmes que mentiram para ganhar o Oscar

7 horas atrás, Zoomin.TV

Tudo bem, cinema é ficção. Mas mentir dizendo que uma obra se baseia em uma história real não é nada legal, não é? Em busca do Oscar, alguns filmes cortam uma historinha aqui, maqueiam outra ali, e o resultado é um filme ganhador da estatueta de ouro nas categorias de melhor filme ou de melhor roteiro original. A gente mostra agora pelo menos três filmes que tiveram suas histórias reinventadas para o cinema e que não foram uma grande verdade.

Mais

Caricaturas do século 16

Lutero e Charlie Hebdo: muita coisa em comum

Por A Catequista em 19/01/2015

Nesses tempos de discussão sobre o respeito às crenças religiosas alheias, convém mais do que nunca trazer à tona uma faceta de Martinho Lutero que pouca gente conhece: o de gravurista que não tinha limites para a baixaria.

Bem diferente do que muita gente pensa, não foi por meio da distribuição de bíblias que a Reforma Protestante difundiu sua doutrina. A grande arma de propaganda dos “reformadores” eram panfletos com gravuras ridicularizando o Papa e o clero das formas mais asquerosas possíveis, no melhor (ou pior) estilo da revista Charlie Hebdo.
Ânus, cocô e demônios eram elementos quase onipresentes nos desenhos de Lutero e sua turma. Pudera… a boca fala do que o coração está cheio! Vejam que “primor”, por exemplo, o texto que acompanha a gravura acima, De Ortu et Origine Monachorum (“A Fonte e a Origem dos Monges”): diz que o capeta teve uma dor de barriga e, ao se aliviar sobre uma forca, de seu traseiro saíram os monges. Será que Luterinho, ex-monge agostiniano, estava então contando sua própria história de vida?
É preciso dar um desconto para Lutero, afinal, diferente dos cartunistas franceses, ele não usava a imagem de Cristo para blasfemar, nem tampouco a da Santíssima Virgem, de quem era devoto (saiba mais aqui). Por outro lado, enquanto as charges do jornal francês nunca incitaram a violência física contra ninguém, Lutero, por sua vez, pedia em uma gravura que o Papa e os cardeais fossem mortos na forca e tivessem suas línguas pregadas ao lado (veja abaixo).

A gravura acima, intitulada Digna merces Pape satanissimi et cardinalium suorum (“A justa recompensa que o Papa Sataníssimo e seus cardeais merecem”) foi produzida por Lucas Cranach. Por encomenda de seu amigo Lutero, esse pintor renascentista fez diversas xilogravuras anticatólicas. Lutero e Lucas formaram assim a dupla LuLu; um bolava o desenho, o outro executava.
O mais célebre dos panfletos de Lutero ilustrado por Lucas Cranach é “Contra o pontificado romano fundado pelo diabo”, de março de 1545. A seguir, mostramos mais algumas das gravuras contidas nessa publicação.
A gravura “O nascimento e a origem do Papa” apresenta um demônio feminino “parindo” vários papas pelo traseiro; os bebês são embalados e amamentados por outros demônios.

- See more at: http://ocatequista.com.br/archives/14746#sthash.BvnOdMIf.dpuf